Capacitors and Methods of Manufacture Thereof

ABSTRACT

Semiconductor devices, capacitors, and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a capacitor includes forming a first material over a workpiece, and patterning the first material, forming a first capacitor plate in a first region of the workpiece and forming a first element in a second region of the workpiece. A second material is formed over the workpiece and over the patterned first material. The second material is patterned, forming a capacitor dielectric and a second capacitor plate in the first region of the workpiece over the first capacitor plate and forming a second element in a third region of the workpiece.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the fabrication ofsemiconductor devices, and more particularly to the fabrication ofcapacitors in integrated circuits.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic applications,such as personal computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and otherelectronic equipment, as examples. Semiconductor devices are typicallyfabricated by sequentially depositing insulating or dielectric layers,conductive layers, and semiconductive layers of material over asemiconductor substrate, and patterning the various layers usinglithography to form circuit components and elements thereon.

Capacitors are elements that are used extensively in semiconductordevices for storing an electrical charge. Capacitors essentiallycomprise two conductive plates separated by an insulating material. Whenan electric current is applied to a capacitor, electric charges of equalmagnitude yet opposite polarity build up on the capacitor plates. Thecapacitance, or the amount of charge held by the capacitor per appliedvoltage, depends on a number of parameters, such as the area of theplates, the distance between the plates, and the dielectric constantvalue of the insulating material between the plates, as examples.Capacitors are used in applications such as electronic filters,analog-to-digital converters, memory devices, control applications, andmany other types of semiconductor device applications.

What are needed in the art are improved methods of fabricatingcapacitors in semiconductor devices and structures thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Technical advantages are generally achieved by preferred embodiments ofthe present invention, which provide novel methods of manufacturingcapacitors, semiconductor devices, and structures thereof.

In accordance with one embodiment, a method of fabricating a capacitorincludes forming a first material over a workpiece. The first materialis patterned, forming a first capacitor plate in a first region of theworkpiece and forming a first element in a second region of theworkpiece. A second material is formed over the workpiece and over thepatterned first material. The second material is patterned, forming acapacitor dielectric and a second capacitor plate in the first region ofthe workpiece over the first capacitor plate and forming a secondelement in a third region of the workpiece.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of embodiments of the present invention in order that thedetailed description of the invention that follows may be betterunderstood. Additional features and advantages of embodiments of theinvention will be described hereinafter, which form the subject of theclaims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may bereadily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structuresor processes for carrying out the same purposes of the presentinvention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art thatsuch equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and theadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptionstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 through 6 show cross-sectional views of a semiconductor deviceat various stages of manufacturing in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention, wherein a capacitor is formed during manufacturingprocess steps for other elements of a semiconductor device;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of a plurality of capacitors of the presentinvention implemented in a static random access memory (SRAM) core cell;

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a capacitor of theSRAM core cell shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a top view of a plurality of capacitors of the presentinvention implemented in another SRAM core cell; and

FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a capacitor of theSRAM core cell shown in FIG. 9.

Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generallyrefer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures aredrawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the preferredembodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The making and using of the presently preferred embodiments arediscussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that thepresent invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that canbe embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to makeand use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.

The requirement for the use of capacitors in semiconductor devices hasincreased. Capacitors are used in SRAM applications such as 8T (an SRAMcore cell having 8 transistors), 6T, and 3T cell arrangements for datastorage, as an example. Capacitors are also used in soft error rate(SER) robustness applications, e.g., to assist in cell retention in highaltitude and alpha radiation environments, as another example.Capacitors are used in logic circuits and SRAM/read-only memory (ROM)support circuits, for example. Capacitors are also used to generatenegative voltages in voltage regulators or in delay circuits.

Some capacitors are formed in lower levels of semiconductor devices,e.g., between a substrate and a gate level for transistors, or betweenthe substrate and shallow trench isolation (STI) regions. Othercapacitors such as metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors are formed inthe upper metallization layers of a semiconductor device, for example.Capacitors consume a large amount of area and are therefore unsuitablefor use in some applications, such as some SRAM core cells. Capacitorsalso require additional dedicated lithography masks, lithographyprocesses, and material layers to fabricate them, increasing costs andfabrication time.

Thus, what are needed in the art are improved, cost-effective methods offabricating capacitors in semiconductor devices.

In the past, gate dielectric materials of transistors in semiconductordevices typically comprised silicon dioxide, which has a dielectricconstant or k value of about 3.9. Gate materials of transistorstypically comprised polysilicon. However, in some smaller and moreadvanced semiconductor technologies, such as 45 nm or 32 nm, asexamples, the use of gate dielectric materials comprising siliconoxynitride and other dielectric materials having a greater dielectricconstant k of greater than 3.9 have begun to be a trend. Gate materialscomprising metals have also begun to be used for transistors.

Embodiments of the present invention achieve technical advantages byforming capacitors or at least portions thereof using material layersfor gate materials of transistor devices and material layers for otherelements of semiconductor devices, to be described further herein.

The present invention will be described with respect to preferredembodiments in specific contexts, namely implemented in SRAM core cellapplications. Embodiments of the invention may also be implemented inother semiconductor applications such as other types of memory devices,logic devices, power devices, SER applications, and other applicationsthat utilize capacitors, as examples.

Embodiments of the present invention comprise novel capacitor structuresthat are formed simultaneously with the formation of other elements ofsemiconductor devices; thus, no additional material layers, lithographymasks, or lithography processing steps are required to fabricate thecapacitors. The capacitors may comprise a high dielectric constant (k)material and may achieve a high amount of capacitance for a minimalamount of surface area. The capacitance can be varied with the size,e.g., the width and the length, of the device and the high k materialselected.

FIGS. 1 through 6 show cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device100 at various stages of manufacturing in accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention, wherein a capacitor 137 is formed duringmanufacturing process steps for other elements of the semiconductordevice 100. Referring first to FIG. 1, to manufacture the semiconductordevice 100, first, a workpiece 102 is provided. The workpiece 102 maycomprise a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon, body, or wafer,for example. The workpiece 102 may also include other active componentsor circuits formed within and/or over the workpiece 102, not shown. Theworkpiece 102 may comprise silicon oxide over single-crystal silicon,for example. The workpiece 102 may include other conductive layers orother semiconductor elements, e.g., transistors, diodes, etc., notshown. Compound semiconductors, GaAs, InP, Si/Ge, or SiC, as examples,may be used in place of silicon. The workpiece 102 may comprise asilicon-on-insulator (SOI) or a SiGe-on-insulator substrate, asexamples.

Isolation regions 104 may be formed in the workpiece 102, as shown. Theisolation regions 104 may comprise shallow trench isolation (STI)regions or other types of isolation regions such as deep trench (DT)isolation and/or field oxide (FOX) regions, for example. The isolationregions 104 may be formed by etching trenches in the workpiece 102 usinglithography and filling the trenches with one or more insulatingmaterials, for example.

The workpiece 102 comprises a first region 110, a second region 112, athird region 114, and an optional fourth region 116, as shown. The firstregion 110 comprises a region where a capacitor will be formed inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The secondregion 112 comprises a region where a first element such as a resistorwill be formed. The third region 114 comprises a region where a secondelement such as a transistor will be formed. The optional fourth region116, if included, may comprise a region where a third element such as aresistor will be formed.

Only one first region 110, second region 112, third region 114, andfourth region 116 are shown in the drawings; however, a plurality offirst regions 110, second regions 112, third regions 114, and fourthregions 116 may be disposed across a surface of the workpiece 102, forexample. One or more isolation regions 104 may be formed in the firstregion 110, second region 112, third region 114, and fourth region 116,for example, not shown. One or more isolation regions 104 may be formedbetween the first region 110, second region 112, third region 114,and/or fourth region 116, also not shown.

A first material 120 is formed over the workpiece 102, as shown inFIG. 1. The first material 120 may comprise a first insulating material122 and a first semiconductive material 124 disposed over the firstinsulating material 122. The first insulating material 122 of the firstmaterial 120 may comprise about 0.5 to 5 nm of a dielectric materialsuch as SiO₂, a nitride such as Si₃N₄, an oxynitride such as SiON, ahigh-k dielectric material having a dielectric constant k of greaterthan about 3.9, or combinations and/or multiple layers thereof, asexamples. Alternatively, the first insulating material 122 may compriseother dimensions and materials, for example. The first insulatingmaterial 122 may be formed using an oxidation or nitridation process,chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), physical vapor deposition(PVD), a spin-on process, or jet vapor deposition (JVD), or combinationsthereof, as examples, although alternatively, other methods may also beused to form the first insulating material 122.

The first semiconductive material 124 of the first material 120 isformed or deposited over the first insulating material 122. The firstsemiconductive material 124 may comprise about 10 to 200 nm of asemiconductive material such as polysilicon or amorphous silicon,although alternatively, the first semiconductive material 124 maycomprise other dimensions and materials. In some embodiments, the firstsemiconductive material 124 comprises a thickness of about 50 nm, as anexample. The first semiconductive material 124 may be formed by CVD,PVD, or other methods, as examples.

The first material 120 is patterned, forming a first capacitor plate ofa capacitor 137 (see FIG. 5) in the first region 110 of the workpiece102 and forming a first element 126 in the second region 112 of theworkpiece 102, as shown in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the firstelement 126 comprises a resistor 126, as one example. Alternatively, thefirst element 126 may comprise other devices, such as a transistor orother types of devices or circuit elements. The type of material of thefirst semiconductive material 124, the thickness of the firstsemiconductive material 124, and the dimensions of the patterned firstsemiconductive material 124 of the first material 120 may be selected toachieve a desired amount of resistance for the first element 126, e.g.,if the first element 126 comprises a resistor. The first element 126 maycomprise a width of about 50 nm and may extend in and out of the paperin the view shown in FIG. 2 by about 100 nm or greater, or several μm,as examples, depending on the application and the desired amount ofresistance for the first element 126. The width of the first element 126may be substantially the same as a gate length for transistors of thesemiconductor device 100 and/or may comprise a minimum feature size forthe semiconductor device 100, for example. In some embodiments and insome technology nodes, the width of the first element 126 may compriseabout 20 to 50 nm or less, as an example. Alternatively, the firstelement 126 may comprise other dimensions.

The width and length of the first capacitor plate in the first region110 may comprise 20 nm to several hundred nm or several μm in a top viewof the semiconductor device 100, depending on the desired amount ofcapacitance for the capacitor 137. Alternatively, the first capacitorplate comprising the first semiconductive material 124 may compriseother dimensions.

The first material 120 may be patterned by depositing a layer ofphotosensitive material (not shown) over the first material 120, andpatterning the layer of photosensitive material using a lithographyprocess. Portions of the layer of photosensitive material are exposed toenergy, e.g., using a lithography mask or a direct patterning method,exposing portions of the layer of photosensitive material. The layer ofphotosensitive material is developed, and portions of the layer ofphotosensitive material are then removed. The layer of photosensitivematerial is used as an etch mask while portions of the first material120 are etched away using an etch process. The layer of photosensitivematerial is then removed. An optional hard mask (also not shown) mayalso be used in the lithography process to pattern the first material120, for example.

Next, a second material 130 is formed over the workpiece 102 and overthe patterned first material 120 in the first region 110 and the secondregion 112, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The second material 130 comprisesa second insulating material 132, a conductive material 134 disposedover the second insulating material 132, and a second semiconductivematerial 136 disposed over the conductive material 134. The secondmaterial 130 is patterned, forming a capacitor dielectric and a secondcapacitor plate in the first region 110 of the workpiece 102 over thefirst capacitor plate comprised of the first semiconductive material 124and forming a second element 138 in the third region 114 of theworkpiece 102, as shown in FIG. 5.

Referring again to FIG. 3, to form the second material 130, the secondinsulating material 132 is deposited over the workpiece 102 and over thepatterned first material 120 in the first region 110 and the secondregion 112. The second insulating material 132 may comprise about 1 to10 nm of a dielectric material such as Si₃N₄, SiON, or other high-kdielectric materials having a dielectric constant k of greater thanabout 3.9, or combinations and/or multiple layers thereof, as examples.Alternatively, the second insulating material 132 may comprise otherdimensions and materials, for example. The second insulating material132 may be formed using an oxidation or nitridation process, CVD, ALD,MOCVD, PVD, a spin-on process, or JVD, or combinations thereof, asexamples, although alternatively, other methods may also be used to formthe second insulating material 132. The second insulating material 132may be substantially conformal as deposited, conforming to the shape andtopography of the patterned first material 120, as shown.

The conductive material 134 of the second material 130 is deposited orformed over the second insulating material 132, as shown in FIG. 3. Theconductive material 134 may comprise about 3 to 30 nm of a conductivematerial such as TiN, TaN, TiC, TiCN, MoN, other metals, or combinationsand/or multiple layers thereof, as examples. In some embodiments, theconductive material 134 may comprise a thickness of about 10 nm, forexample. Alternatively, the conductive material 134 may comprise otherdimensions and materials, for example. The conductive material 134 maybe formed using CVD, MOCVD, PVD, a sputter process, or combinationsthereof, as examples, although alternatively, other methods may also beused to form the conductive material 134. The conductive material 134may be substantially conformal as deposited, conforming to thetopography of the second insulating material 132, as shown.

Next, in an optional step, the conductive material 134 may be patternedusing lithography to remove the conductive material 134 from theoptional fourth region 116 of the workpiece 102. For example, FIG. 3shows a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device 100 after theconductive material 134 has been removed using lithography from thefourth region 116 of the workpiece 102.

The second semiconductive material 136 of the second material 130 isthen deposited or formed over the conductive material 134 and over thesecond insulating material 132 in the fourth region 116, if included, asshown in FIG. 4. The second semiconductive material 136 may compriseabout 10 to 200 nm of a semiconductive material such as polysilicon oramorphous silicon, although alternatively, the second semiconductivematerial 136 may comprise other dimensions and materials. In someembodiments, the second semiconductive material 136 comprises athickness of about 50 nm, as an example. The second semiconductivematerial 136 may be formed by CVD, PVD, or other methods, as examples.The second semiconductive material 136 may be substantially conformal asdeposited, conforming to the topography of the underlying conductivematerial 134 and the second insulating material 132, as shown.

The second material 130 is patterned using a lithography process,forming a second capacitor plate in the first region 110 of theworkpiece 102 and forming a second element 138 in the third region 114of the workpiece 102, as shown in FIG. 5. The patterned second material130 and the patterned first material 120 comprise a capacitor 137 in thefirst region 110 of the workpiece 110. The patterned second insulatingmaterial 132 comprises a capacitor dielectric of the capacitor 137 inthe first region 110. The conductive material 134 and the secondsemiconductive material 136 comprise the second capacitor plate of thecapacitor 137.

In some embodiments, after patterning the second material 130, thesecond element 138 in the third region 114 may comprise a transistor, asan example. The second insulating material 132 comprises a gatedielectric, and the conductive material 134 and the secondsemiconductive material 136 comprise a gate of the transistor, in theseembodiments. Alternatively, the second element 138 may comprise otherdevices, such as a resistor or other devices. The second element 138comprises the second insulating material 132, the conductive material134, and the second semiconductive material 136.

The patterning of the second material 130 may comprise removing thesecond material 130 from over the first element 126 in the second region112 of the workpiece 102, as shown in FIG. 5. For example, patterningthe second material 130 may comprise removing the second semiconductivematerial 136, the conductive material 134, and the second insulatingmaterial 132 from over the first element 126 that may comprise aresistor in the second region 112 of the workpiece 102.

In another embodiment, the patterning of the second material 130 maycomprise leaving the second material 130 over the first element 126 inthe second region 112 of the workpiece 102, as shown in FIG. 6.Patterning the second material 130 may comprise leaving the secondsemiconductive material 136, the conductive material 134, and the secondinsulating material 132 disposed over the first element 126 in thesecond region 112 of the workpiece 102, for example. The first element126 may comprise a resistor or a transistor in this embodiment, asexamples. The lithography mask for the lithography process used topattern the second material 130 may comprise the pattern to define whichregions 110, 112, 114, or 116 the second material 130 will be removedfrom or left remaining in.

The type of material of the second semiconductive material 136, theconductive material 134, and the second insulating material 132; thethickness of the second semiconductive material 136, the conductivematerial 134, and the second insulating material 132; and the dimensionsof the patterned second semiconductive material 136, the conductivematerial 134, and the second insulating material 132 may be selected toachieve desired operating parameters and characteristics such asthreshold voltage for the second element 138, e.g., if the secondelement 138 comprises a transistor. The second element 138 may comprisea width of about 50 nm and may extend in and out of the paper in theview shown in FIG. 6 by 100 nm or greater, or several μm, as examples,depending on the application and the desired operating parameters forthe second element 138. The width of the second element 138 may comprisea gate length for transistors of the semiconductor device 100, forexample. In some embodiments and in some technology nodes, the width ofthe second element 138 may comprise about 20 to 50 nm or less, as anexample. Alternatively, the second element 138 may comprise otherdimensions.

The type of material of the second semiconductive material 136, theconductive material 134, the second insulating material 132, and thefirst semiconductive material 124; the thickness of the secondsemiconductive material 136, the conductive material 134, the secondinsulating material 132, and the first semiconductive material 124; andthe dimensions of the patterned second semiconductive material 136, theconductive material 134, the second insulating material 132, and thefirst semiconductive material 124 may also be selected to achievedesired operating parameters and characteristics such as thecapacitance, voltage, and current capabilities for the capacitor 137 inthe first region 110, for example.

In the patterning step for the second material 130, an optional thirdelement 140 may also be formed in the optional fourth region 116 of theworkpiece 102, as shown in FIG. 5. The third element 140 may comprise aresistor, as an example, although alternatively, the third element 140may comprise other devices or circuit elements, such as a transistor orother devices. The optional third element 140 may comprise the secondinsulating material 132 and the second semiconductive material 136, forexample.

Advantageously, the type of materials and dimensions used for the secondsemiconductive material 136, the conductive material 134, the secondinsulating material 132, and the first semiconductive material 124 maybe adjusted and/or tuned to achieve the desired properties and operatingcharacteristics for the capacitor 137, the first element 126, the secondelement 138, and the optional third element 140, in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. The capacitance strength may beadjusted by modifying or altering the width and length of the secondsemiconductive material 136, the conductive material 134, the secondinsulating material 132, and the first semiconductive material 124 ofthe capacitors 137, as an example.

The second material 130 may be patterned by depositing a layer ofphotosensitive material (not shown) over the second semiconductivematerial 136, and patterning the layer of photosensitive material usinga lithography process, as described for patterning of the first material130, for example.

Processing of the semiconductor device 100 is then continued to completethe fabrication process. For example, an insulating sidewall spacermaterial 142 may be deposited over the workpiece 102 and may beanisotropically etched to form sidewall spacers 142 on sidewalls of thesecond element 138 in the third region 114 of the workpiece 102, asshown in FIG. 6. Source and drain regions 144 of the second element 138may be formed or implanted into the workpiece 102, e.g., before and/orafter the formation of the sidewall spacers 142, also shown in FIG. 6.

Additional insulating material layers or inter-level dielectric (ILD)layers may be deposited over the workpiece 102 over the patterned firstand second materials 120 and 130, and conductive materials may be formedin the insulating material layers to form contacts, vias, and/orconductive lines over the workpiece 102, the capacitor 137, the firstelement 126, the second element 138, and the optional third element 140to make electrical contact to portions of the workpiece 102, thecapacitor 137, the first element 126, the second element 138, and theoptional third element 140, for example, not shown.

For example, if the first element 126 comprises a resistor, a firstconductive line may be coupled to a first end of the resistor and asecond conductive line may be coupled to a second end of the resistor(not shown). If the second element 138 comprises a transistor, a firstcontact may be coupled to the gate 134/136 of the transistor and atleast one second contact may be coupled to the source and/or drain 144of the transistor (also not shown). A first portion of the semiconductordevice 100 may be coupled to the first capacitor plate 124 of thecapacitor 137 and a second portion of the semiconductor device 100 maybe coupled to the second capacitor plate 134/136 of the capacitor 137,also not shown. For example, the capacitor plates 124 and 134/136 may becoupled to the first element 126, the second element 138, the thirdelement 140, and/or regions of the workpiece 102 or other circuitelements of the workpiece 102 using capacitor connectors or contacts.

Additional insulating material layers and conductive material layers,e.g., metallization layers, may be formed over the novel capacitors 137and may be used to interconnect the various components of thesemiconductor device 100.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of a plurality of capacitors 137 of the presentinvention implemented in a SRAM core cell 150. FIG. 8 shows across-sectional view of a portion of a capacitor 137 of the SRAM corecell 150 shown in FIG. 7 at 8-8. Like numerals are used for the variouselements that were used to describe the previous figures, and to avoidrepetition, each reference number shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is notdescribed again in detail herein.

The SRAM core cell 150 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 comprises a 6T core-cellhigh-k metal gate capacitance SRAM core cell adapted to operate at aminimum supply voltage. The capacitors 137 of the SRAM core cell 150 maybe used for low voltage and SER improvement in some embodiments, forexample. Capacitor connectors 152, 152 a, and 152 b compriserectangular-shaped or elongated contacts that are used to connect thecapacitors 137 to other portions of the SRAM core cell 150. Capacitorconnector 152 a connects the top plate 134/136 of the capacitor 137 toother regions of the SRAM core cell 150, and capacitor connector 152 bconnects the bottom plate 124 of the capacitor 137 to other regions ofthe SRAM core cell 150, as shown in FIG. 8. The first insulatingmaterial 122 of the first material 120 isolates the bottom plate 126from active areas of the workpiece 102, such as P wells 156 and N wells158 formed in the workpiece 102. Contacts 154 may be used to connectvarious regions and portions of the SRAM core cell 150, for example.Isolation regions 104 formed in the workpiece 102 may extend above a topsurface of the workpiece 102, as shown.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of a plurality of capacitors 137 of the presentinvention implemented in another SRAM core cell 160. FIG. 10 shows across-sectional view of a portion of a capacitor 137 of the SRAM corecell 160 shown in FIG. 9 at 10-10. Again, like numerals are used for thevarious elements that were used to describe the previous figures, and toavoid repetition, each reference number shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is notdescribed again in detail herein.

The SRAM core cell 160 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 comprises a 3T core-cellhigh-k metal gate capacitance implementation. The capacitors 137 of theSRAM core cell 160 may be used to store content in some embodiments, forexample. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, capacitorconnectors 152 may be used to connect the capacitors 137 to otherportions of the SRAM core cell 160. The first insulating material 122 ofthe first material 120 isolates the bottom plate 126 of the capacitors137 from active areas of the workpiece 102, such as P well 156 formed inthe workpiece 102. Contacts 154 may be used to connect various regionsand portions of the SRAM core cell 160, for example.

In the drawings, the ends of the capacitor 137 plates 124 and 134/136are shown as being substantially square; alternatively, due to thelithography processes used to pattern the capacitor 137 plates 124 and134/136, the ends of the capacitor 137 plates 124 and 134/136 may alsobe rounded, for example, not shown.

The patterns for the capacitors 137 may be included in existing masklevels for the semiconductor device 100. However, optionally, dedicatedlithography and etch processes may also be used to fabricate thecapacitors 137 described herein. For example, patterning the firstsemiconductive material 124 and the first insulating material 122 maycomprise using a first lithography mask (not shown). The firstlithography mask may comprise a lithography mask for patterning thefirst element 126, altered to include the pattern for the firstcapacitor plate of the capacitor 137, for example. Alternatively, thefirst lithography mask may comprise a dedicated lithography mask forpatterning the first capacitor plate of the capacitor 137 and the firstelement 126. Patterning the second semiconductive material 136, theconductive material 134, and the second insulating material 132 maycomprise using a second lithography mask (also not shown). The secondlithography mask may comprise a lithography mask for patterning thesecond element 138, altered to include the pattern for the secondcapacitor plate and the capacitor dielectric of the capacitor 137, forexample. Alternatively, the second lithography mask may comprise adedicated lithography mask for patterning the second capacitor plate andthe capacitor dielectric of the capacitor 137 and the second element138.

Embodiments of the present invention include methods of fabricating thesemiconductor devices 100 and capacitor plates 137 described hereinduring the fabrication process for other elements 126, 138, and 140 ofthe semiconductor devices 100, for example. Embodiments of the presentinvention also include semiconductor devices 100 and capacitors 137comprising the novel capacitor plates 124 and 134/136.

For example, referring again to FIG. 5, in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention, a semiconductor device 100 includes acapacitor 137 in a first region 110 of a workpiece 102. A first element126 is disposed in a second region 112 of the workpiece 102, the firstelement 126 comprising a first semiconductive material 124. A secondelement 138 is disposed in a third region 114 of the workpiece 102, thesecond element 138 comprising an insulating material 132, a conductivematerial 134, and a second semiconductive material 136. A first plate ofthe capacitor 137 comprises the first semiconductive material 124 of thefirst element 126. The capacitor 137 comprises a capacitor dielectriccomprising the insulating material 132 of the second element 138. Thecapacitor 137 comprises a second plate comprising the conductivematerial 134 and the second semiconductive material 136 of the secondelement 138. The first element 126 or the second element 138 maycomprise a resistor or a transistor, for example.

The semiconductor device 100 may further comprise a third element 140disposed in a fourth region 116 of the workpiece 102, wherein the thirdelement 140 comprises the insulating material 132 and the secondsemiconductive material 136 of the second element 138. The third elementmay be different than the first element 126 or the second element 138,for example. The first element 126, the second element 138, and/or thethird element 140 may comprise a resistor or a transistor.

The capacitor 137 may be disposed proximate a memory device of thesemiconductor device 100, as shown in FIGS. 7 through 10. Thesemiconductor device 100 may further comprise a connector element suchas capacitor connectors 152, 152 a, and 152 b shown in FIGS. 7 through10 coupling the capacitor 137 to a portion of the memory device, forexample. The memory device may comprise an SRAM core cell 150 or 160 orother types of memory devices. The capacitors 137 may comprise storagedevices as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 or soft error rate (SER) protectiondevices as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as examples. The embodiments shown inFIGS. 7 through 10 are merely examples; alternatively, the novelcapacitors 137 described herein may also be implemented in other sizesof SRAM core cells, such as 1T, 8T, or other sizes. Alternatively, thecapacitors 137 described herein may be implemented in otherapplications. For example, the capacitors 137 may be implemented in SRAMcore cells, other types of memory devices than SRAM core cells, storagedevices, SER protection or robustness circuits, logic circuits, filters,analog-to-digital converters, control circuits, memory devices, voltageregulators, delay circuits, storage enhancement circuits, or SRAM/readonly memory (ROM) support circuits, as examples.

Advantages of embodiments of the present invention include providingnovel methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices 100 and capacitors137. The capacitors 137 are formed by overlaying a resistor material(e.g., the first insulating material 122 and the first semiconductivematerial 124) with a transistor material (e.g., the second insulatingmaterial 132, the conductive material 134, and the second semiconductivematerial 136).

The novel capacitors 137 advantageously may be formed during thefabrication and lithography processes used to form other elements 126,138, and 140 of the semiconductor devices 100 in some embodiments, andthus do not require any additional processing steps, lithography masks,or costs. Additional etch processes and lithography processes are notrequired to manufacture the novel capacitors 137 in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention. For example, the patterns for thefirst plates 124 and the second plates 134/136 may be included inexisting mask levels for the semiconductor device 100. However,optionally, dedicated lithography and etch processes may also be used tofabricate the capacitors 137 described herein.

The novel manufacturing methods for the capacitors 137 described hereinprovide flexibility in the placement and shaping of capacitors 137 ofsemiconductor devices 100. In some embodiments, the capacitor plates 124and 134/136 may be ground-rule based, comprising a width of a minimumfeature size of a semiconductor device 100 and achieving a highcapacitance value, for example. In some embodiments, the secondinsulating material 132 comprises a high k material, achieving a largeamount of capacitance for the capacitors 137 per unit area, for example.The capacitors 137 may be small, yet may provide a large amount ofcapacitance, because a high k material is used for the capacitordielectric (e.g., the second insulating material 132), for example.

Another advantage of embodiments of the present invention is thatresistors such as the first element 126 in the second region 112 or thethird element 140 in the fourth region 116 of the workpiece 102 may beformed that have a different thickness than a thickness of the gatematerial 134/136 of transistors such as the second element 138 in thethird region 114, for example. Because the resistors 126 or 140 areformed from different materials 124 and 136 and using a differentprocessing step than the transistor gate 134/136, the thickness of theresistors 126 or 140 is not required to be the same as and is notlimited by the thickness of the transistor gate 134/136.

Only one capacitor 137 is shown in the first region 110 in FIGS. 1through 6; however, in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention, a plurality of capacitors 137 may be formed across a surfaceof a workpiece 102, e.g., in a gate level, resistor level, and/or otherlevels of the semiconductor device 100.

In some embodiments, the plates 124 and 134/136 of the capacitors 137may have substantially the same or similar dimensions as other featuresor devices such as resistors or transistors formed in the materiallayers 124 and 134/136, so that the capacitors 137 are easilyintegratable into existing semiconductor device 100 structures andmanufacturing process flows. The capacitors 137 are small, fast, and lowin complexity and cost. The properties of the capacitors 137 may betuned by adjusting the capacitor dielectric 132 thickness and materialsand the dimensions of the plates 124 and 134/136, as examples.Advantageously, the top plate 134/136 of the capacitors 137 comprises ametal (e.g., conductive material 134).

Although embodiments of the present invention and their advantages havebeen described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.For example, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the artthat many of the features, functions, processes, and materials describedherein may be varied while remaining within the scope of the presentinvention. Moreover, the scope of the present application is notintended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process,machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and stepsdescribed in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art willreadily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention,processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means,methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, thatperform substantially the same function or achieve substantially thesame result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may beutilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appendedclaims are intended to include within their scope such processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A semiconductor device, comprising: a capacitor in a first region of a workpiece; a first element in a second region of the workpiece, the first element comprising a first semiconductive material; and a second element in a third region of the workpiece, the second element comprising an insulating material, a conductive material, and a second semiconductive material, wherein a first plate of the capacitor comprises the first semiconductive material of the first element, wherein the capacitor comprises a capacitor dielectric comprising the insulating material of the second element, and wherein the capacitor comprises a second plate comprising the conductive material and the second semiconductive material of the second element.
 18. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the first element or the second element comprises a resistor or a transistor.
 19. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, further comprising a third element in a fourth region of the workpiece, the third element comprising the insulating material and the second semiconductive material of the second element.
 20. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the third element comprises different electrical characteristics than the first element and the second element.
 21. The semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the first element, the second element, or the third element comprises a resistor or a transistor.
 22. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the capacitor is disposed proximate a memory device.
 23. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, further comprising a connector element coupling the capacitor to a portion of the memory device.
 24. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the memory device comprises a static random access memory (SRAM) core cell.
 25. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the capacitor is implemented in a static random access memory (SRAM) core cell, a storage device, a soft error rate (SER) protection or robustness circuit, a logic circuit, a filter, an analog-to-digital converter, a control circuit, a memory device, a voltage regulator, a delay circuit, a storage enhancement circuit, or an SRAM/read only memory (ROM) support circuit.
 26. A memory arrangement comprising: a capacitor, the capacitor comprising a first plate, a second plate and an insulating material disposed between the first plate and the second plate, the first plate including a first semiconductive material, the second plate including a conductive material and a second semiconductive material; a memory device, the memory device comprising a first transistor, the first transistor comprising the first semiconductive material; and a second transistor, the second transistor comprising the insulating material, the conductive material and the second semiconductive material; and a connector element coupling the capacitor to a portion of the memory device.
 27. The memory arrangement according to claim 26, wherein the memory device is a static random access memory (SRAM).
 28. The memory arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the SRAM is a 3 transistor SRAM.
 29. The memory arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the SRAM is a 6 transistor SRAM.
 30. The memory arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the SRAM is an 8 transistor SRAM.
 31. The memory arrangement according to claim 26, further comprising a resistor.
 32. A semiconductor arrangement comprising: a capacitor, the capacitor comprising a first plate, a second plate, and an insulating material disposed between the first plate and the second plate, the first plate including a first semiconductive material, the second plate including a conductive material and a second semiconductive material; a first resistor, the first resistor comprising the first semiconductive material; and a first transistor, the first transistor comprising the insulating material, the conductive material and the second semiconductive material.
 33. The semiconductor arrangement according to claim 32, further comprising a second resistor, the second resistor having different electrical characteristics than the first resistor.
 34. The semiconductor arrangement according to claim 32, further comprising a second transistor, the second transistor having different electrical characteristics than the first transistor.
 35. The semiconductor arrangement according to claim 32, wherein the capacitor is disposed proximate a memory device.
 36. The semiconductor arrangement according to claim 35, further comprising a connector element coupling the capacitor to a portion of the memory device.
 37. The semiconductor arrangement according to claim 35, wherein the memory device comprises a static random access memory (SRAM) core cell.
 38. The semiconductor arrangement according to claim 32, wherein the capacitor is implemented in a static random access memory (SRAM) core cell, a storage device, a soft error rate (SER) protection or robustness circuit, a logic circuit, a filter, an analog-to-digital converter, a control circuit, a memory device, a voltage regulator, a delay circuit, a storage enhancement circuit, or a SRAM/read only memory (ROM) support circuit. 